Refillable practicable aerosol dispenser



Dec. 12, 1967 sEucHl KITABAYASHI 3,357,603

REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June l5,1966 v u am@ INVENTOR SEIICHI KIRCHE/WASH!v BY MQW/55 ATTORNEYS Dec. 12,1967 ysraucl-u K|TABAYASH| 3,357,603

l REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL vDISPENSER Filed June l5, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Z zo '7 l ,5 5 I8 lq n; f Y

f l r INVENTOR sskcf/i K/T/JBAYASHI ATTORNEYS United States Patent O3,357,603 REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL DISPENSER Seiichi Kitabayashi,2-2246 Nishisugama, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed .lune 15, 1966, Ser.No. 557,652 Claims priority, application Japan, June 15, 1965, 40/35,182 1 Claim. (Cl. Z22-402.16)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention s concerned with anaerosol dispenser for spraying solutions container under pressure of gaswithin a container and which dispenser is normal ly closed to theemission of such solutions, but can be manually opened for the emissionthereof or can be connected to a supply container for being refilledwith solution and gas While permitting gas within the dispenser toescape therefrom to the atmosphere.

An object of the present invention is to provide aerosol dispenserswhich can be refilled through the discharge valves of said aerosoldispensers when Said discharge valves are connected to a dischargenozzle of a supply container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide refillableaerosol dispensers which receive fuelfrom supply containers easily andsufliciently while exhausting gas from the dispenser and thus loweringthe pressure therein while being fed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means forsupplying solution in said aerosol container by means of supplycontainers having various discharge nozzle sizes.

Description An aerosol dispenser according to the present inventioncomprises a valve housing 2 mounted within the upper inside portion of acontainer 1 for enclosing compressed gas and solution therein and havingupper and lower valve chambers 3 and 4, and eductor tube 5 connectingupper chamber 3 and the inside bottom container 1, a valve stem 6 beingprovided with an axial bore 7 having a closed bottom end and extendingfrom outside container 1 through valve housing 2, a first valve foropening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 andvalve bore 7, a second valve for opening and closing communicationbetween lower valve chamber 4 and valve bore 7, a third valve foropening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 and theouter atmosphere in cooperation with opening and closing of said secondvalve, a fourth valve for opening and closing communication betweenlower valve chamber 4 through valve housing 2 with the inside ofcontainer.

The embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, will hereinafter be described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of an aerosol dispenser according tothe present invention and shown in its olf position.

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of the same aerosol dispenser as shownin FIG. 1 but shown in its position under emission operation.

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the same aerosol dispenser as shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 but shown connected to a supply container nozzle forbeing filled therefrom,

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, there isshown a valve stem 6 which has from top to bottom a rst coarctateportion 13, a second ICC coarctate portion 14 and a third coarctateportion 15. 12 is a side orifice for opening axial bore 7 to the valvestem peripheral face. A portion of said side orifice 12 opens at thesecond coarctate portion 14 and another portion of the same orifice 12opens at a stepped portion 16 located at the upper part of coarctateportion 14. An annular resilient gasket 17 which is as thick `as theaxial length of coarctate portion 14 encases said coarctate portion.Accordingly, the upper portion of side orifice 12 is to open at certainposition of valve stem 6. As for the structures of the above-mentionedfirst to fourth valves, the first valve is composed of said side orifice12 upper portion, an annular resilient gasket 19 which is encased incontainer top plate 18 at the top side of the valve hous ing 2 and theannular resilient gasket 17. At the first position shown in FIG. 1 inwhich position the valve stem 6 is at its highest position, the sideorifice 12 upper portion is closed by gasket 19. And, at the secondposition shown in FIG. 2, the valve stem is lowered from said iirstposition and said side orifice 12 upper portion opens. That is, at saidfirst position, said first valve is closed. And so, communicationbetween upper chamber 3 and axial bore 7 is closed. But, at said secondand third positions, the same are in communication. The second valve iscornposed of an annular step 20 which defines upper and lower valvechambers 3 and 4, gasket 17 and side orifice 12. That is, at said firstposition, the whole portion of side orifice 12 is closed by gaskets 17and 19, and atsaid second position, said upper and lower valve chamberscommunicate with each other. But, at said third position in which thevalve stem is at position lowest, the top and bottom faces of gasket 17respectively engage said valve stem stepped portion 16 and said valvehousing annular step 20. And so, communication between the upper andlower valve chambers is closed and at the same time side orifice 12opens to lower chamber 4. Said third valve is composed of firstcoarctate portion 13 of said valve stem and gasket 19. That is, at itsfirst and second positions, said valve stem engages gasket 19. And so,the communication between upper chamber 3 and outer space is closed.But, at said third position, a clearance 21 is caused between coarctateportion 13 and gasket 19 inner peripheral face. Accordingly, upperchamber 3 communicates with outer space. Said fourth valve is composedof a coarctate portion 15 of said valve stem and an annular resilientgasket 22 which is held at the inside bottom of the valve housing 2 bymeans of a valve spring 8. That is, at said first and second positions,communication between lower chamber 4 through valve housing 2 to theinside space of the container is closed by engagement of said valve stemand gasket 22. But, at said third position, a clearance 23 is causedbetween coarctate portion 15 and gasket 22 inner peripheral face.Accordingly, lower valve chamber 4 communicates with valve housing 2next container inside space.

In the above description, detailed structures of each valve have beenexplained. However, various changes as to details of the valves or otherparts are possible within the scope of the present invention. An aerosoldispenser according to the present invention has a valve stem and firstto fourth valves as described above, and said valve stern has said firstto third positions. Accordingly, at the rst position, all valves areclosed and the dispenser on the whole is in its off position. However,at the second position, solution under pressure in the container isdischarged through eductor tube 5, upper chamber 3 and valve stem axialbore 7, and push button emission orifice 11. That is, the valve stemsecond position is the emission position of the dispenser. For refillingthe dispenser with solution and gas, push button 10 is removed fromvalve Next, as shown inFIG. 3, nozzle 25 of a supply con tainer 24 isapplied to the top end of valve stem 6 for engagement therewith, andcontainer 1 is pushed against the supply container nozzle. Then, valvestem 6 descends from its rst position to its third position in thedispenser moving through the second position. In FIG. 3 the aerosoldispenser is shown in an upside down position. Consequently, theabove-mentioned second and third valves open and solution under pressurein supply container 24 pours into the container through the secondvalve, lower chamber 4 and the third valve. On the other hand, the rstvalve closes, and communication between upper chamber 3 and axial bore 7is closed. And, at the same time, the fourth valve opens for lettingupper chamber '3 communicate with the outside atmosphere through saidvalve. Accordingly, gas under pressure present in the container bottomdischarges through eductor tube 5, upper chamber 3 and the fourth valveto the atmosphere for lowering the container inside pressure. As aresult, the aerosol dispenser ills easily and sufciently with the supplysolution under pressure.

Heretofore, most known aerosol dispensers which are reiillable had avalve for manual operation composed of upper and lower stems forallowing separation from each other. During relling operation said upperstem is drawn for insertion of a supply container nozzle in the top endportion of said lower stem through a gasket normally encased in the topportion of the dispenser container. Accordingly, for providing thefourth valve for vdischarging exhaust gas as described above, a supplycontainer nozzle is obliged to have a limited radial size, and mostsupply containers marketed having a pouring nozzle with various radialsizes cannot be used. It is therefore an important advantage of thisinvention that most supply containers marketed can be used for rellingthe present device, because the stem provided in the present device hasa tapering upper end which can receive or engage a pouring nozzle withvarious radial sizes without fail.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: r An aerosoldispenser which comprises a container 1, a valve housing 2 being xedlyconnected to an upper inside portion of said container 1 for enclosingcompressed gas and solution therein and having upper and lower valvechambers 3, and 4, an eductor tube 5 lplacing upper chamber 3 incommunication with the inside bottom space of the container at alltimes, a valve stem 6 i being provided with an axial bore 7 having aclosed bottom end and extending from exteriorly of said containerthrough valve housing 2, a rst valve for opening and closingcommunication between upper valve chamber 3 and valve bore 7, a secondvalve for opening and closing communication between said upper and lowervalve chambers 3 and 4, and having an open position for openingcommunication between lower valve chamber 4 and axial bore 7 when thecommunication between upper and lower Valve chambers 3 and 4 is closed,a third valve for opening and closing communication between upper valvechamber 3 and the outer atmosphere in cooperation with the opening andclosing of said second valve, a fourth valve for opening and closingcommunication between lower valve chamber 4 and said container upperinside space, said rst to fourth valves being controlled by valve stem6, said valve stem 6 having a tapering upper end for engaging a supplycontainer feed nozzle, a spring pressing said valve stem from withinsaid valve housing, a push button 10 detachably mounted on said valvestem and having an emission orifice 11 for communicating with axial bore7, and said valve stem 6 having a first position in which it is normallyretained by said spring and in which position said iirst to fourthvalves are closed, a second position in which said stem is moved againstsaid spring and in which position said first valve is open and saidsecond to fourth valves are closed, and a third position in which saidstem is moved further against said spring and in which position saidfirst valve is closed and said second to fourth valves are open.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,998,168 8/ 1961 WaldherrZ22-402.16 X

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.

